Microsoft releases new Windows Phone 8, expected to hit the market in Fall 2012 – Part 3

Windows Phone has been lying on the shorter side of the stick in terms of cellular carriers. So far only AT&T has been the major contactor with Microsoft on WP platform with the biggest number of phones in its portfolio. T-Mobile has a contract with Nokia, which ultimately sells Windows phones. Verizon and Sprint only have one device apiece and are expected tow the same line with the new version.

Nokia is also offering several apps on its phones: Play To content sharing over DLNA, Nokia Maps with commuting intelligence, Nokia Music 3.0 with Mix Radio, Nokia Drive, and camera extras, which include panorama, burst shot, and GroupShot (it’ll find photos with the nicest smiles and open eyes.) Camera Extras and Counters will come to the U.S. and China by June 22, and to other countries in July.

Zynga games like Words with Friends and Draw Something will be available to Lumia owners for the next couple of months, Nokia said. There’s also a usage app to monitor texts and calls.

Near-field communication will be divided into three functional parts. The first is akin to the Android Beam in Samsung Nexus and SIII. It will enable users to pass on web pages and other media content to other NFC-enabled devices.

The new feature will also let the phone read NFC tags on posters, tickets and so on. iOS has also introduced the same feature to its upcoming iOS 6, however, it is not NFC-based.

Third is a electronic wallet service that stores users’ sensitive credit/debit/loyalty card information and makes electronic transactions with NFC devices in the nearby vicinity. Google already has same feature in the new Ice Cream Sandwich that goes by the name of Google Wallet. However, due to the limited NFC hardware, the functionality is limited to some shops and super-store chains.

The SDK has not been released yet and is expected to be handed over developers late this summer when Microsoft plans to have an in-detail meeting.

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Posted by Usman Khalid on Jun 21 2012. Filed under Sci-Tech. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.